More than a foot of snow closes roads, strands residents and disrupts communications
The mountainous areas from Galiyat to Gilgit-Baltistan have witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall. PHOTOS: SHABBIR MIR & MOHAMMAD SADAQAT/EXPRESS
ABBOTTABAD:
More than a foot of snow covered the Galiyat region, including Nathia Gali and Thandiani, on Wednesday, disrupting road connections and paralyzing communication networks.
The district administration advised residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary trips to Galiyat and Thandiani.
The continuous rains in the city have further intensified the cold. Since last night, intermittent heavy snowfall of more than a foot has been recorded in Galiyat, Nathia Gali, Ayubia, Miranjani and Thandiani hill areas, covering mountains, trees, roads, trails and residential and commercial areas in thick snow.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Highway Department machinery is working on clearing snow from Murree Road, though continuous snowfall is hampering operations. Salt is also being spread to reduce slipperiness.
Due to the risk of landslides starting at 5:00 p.m., the Barrian-Nathia Gali road has been closed to traffic. Vehicles are allowed to pass only under strict security measures due to dangerous road conditions. According to sources, the Abbottabad-Nathia Gali Murree highway has been closed for tourists, while local residents are allowed passage after identification.
Snow accumulation in Nathia Gali and Thandiani has reached between one meter and one and a half meters. All link roads in Galiyat and Thandiani remain closed, leaving residents confined to their areas. Communication networks have been severely affected and several towns are reportedly without electricity.
Many link roads in the adjacent areas had not yet been fully restored after the previous snowfall, when the latest snowfall further aggravated the difficulties of residents.
Earlier, the performance of the Department of Communications and Works (C&W), Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) and the KITE project had drawn criticism as several days passed without the link roads being fully restored.
The regional administration reported that machinery from C&W, GDA and the KITE project actively participate in road cleaning operations. However, questions remain over how the link roads can be cleared when even the main roads at Murree and Thandiani are yet to be fully restored.
Emergency contact numbers have been issued and citizens and tourists have once again been urged to avoid unnecessary travel. There have also been reports of people stranded in Nathia Gali, Ayubia.
